June 21, 2021, Sioux Falls, SD: OmegaQuant, the leader in omega-3 fatty acid testing, has launched a new Omega-3 Index test for pets, complete with a sample collection kit pet owners can bring to their veterinarian to measure their pet’s omega-3 level.
Research shows that omega-3s EPA and DHA provide numerous benefits for pets, including supporting a healthy heart, brain, joints, and immune system, as well as maintaining the integrity of their skin and coat. Unfortunately, these important fatty acids are frequently lacking in pets’ diets, much like their human counterparts.
Testing nutritional status can help pet owners monitor to what extent their pets’ diets are delivering these healthy nutrients and increase them safely as needed based on their omega-3 level.
Similar to the way the Omega-3 Index Test assesses the dietary intake of omega-3s EPA and DHA for humans, OmegaQuant’s Omega-3 Index for Pets test can track their nutritional status, however, there are two major differences. First, the optimal Omega-3 Index for pets is around 3%, while for humans it is 8%. Also, instead of self-administering the test, the Omega-3 Index for Pets must be carried out by a veterinarian since it requires a blood draw.
OmegaQuant believes the Omega-3 Index for Pets will change the way pet owners approach supplementation of their pets, and even the types of foods they feed them. “There is a rising trend among veterinarians and pet owners of giving companion animals like dogs omega-3s either in fortified foods or supplements,” said OmegaQuant’s Director of Research, Kristina Harris Jackson, who developed the Omega-3 Index for Pets.
“Like in humans, the omega-3s EPA and DHA can help with health issues that have an underlying inflammatory component, but it’s important to know how to dose them. With high concentrate fish oils, for example, you need to make sure you aren’t overdoing it on the EPA and DHA, while at the same time giving pets enough to achieve therapeutic omega-3 levels. We believe this test will close the loop for pet owners and veterinarians and give them the ability to deliver omega-3s to their to their pets with a bit more precision and peace of mind,” she said.
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Media Inquiries:
Becky Wright
VP Communications, OmegaQuant
+1-201-675-0197
About OmegaQuant:
OmegaQuant is an independent, CLIA-certified lab that offers nutritional status testing to researchers, clinicians and the public. OmegaQuant performs analysis in Sioux Falls, SD, for commercial and academic research collaborators, and for consumers interested in monitoring their nutritional status in both blood and breast milk. Its goal is to offer the highest quality fatty acid analytical services to researchers and to provide simple tests of nutritional status to consumers, with the ultimate purpose of advancing the science and use of certain nutrients to improve health. Most recently, OmegaQuant formed a partnership with CSIRO to help process lab samples coming from Australia and the APAC region, with a lab based in Adelaide, Australia. OmegaQuant also has a lab partnership with the University of Stirling, based in the Scotland, to help process blood samples from Europe.